17-02-2025
The top-ranked player in the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld field has withdrawn
The top-ranked player in the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld field has withdrawn
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Ludvig Aberg talks about meaningful win at Genesis Invitational 2025
Ludvig Aberg talks about how meaningful his win at the 2025 Genesis Invitational is.
The Mexico Open at VidantaWorld is in a difficult spot on the PGA Tour schedule.
Sandwiched between the West Coast and Florida Swings, many of the PGA Tour's top players take a break before some of the more notorious events in Florida, like the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship.
The initial field commitment list in Mexico featured no top-20 players and only four in the top 40 in the Official World Golf Ranking. And on Monday, the field lost its top-ranked player.
Maverick McNealy, fresh off his runner-up finish at the 2025 Genesis Invitational, withdrew from the Mexico Open on Monday. Ranked 14th after the OWGR update on Monday, McNealy fired an incredible 8-under 64 on Sunday and held the lead throughout much of the final round at Torrey Pines until Ludvig Aberg sank a birdie putt on the 72nd hole to win by one shot. If McNealy would've played in Mexico, it would have been his seventh start in eight events this year.
Now, the field is lacking even more stars. The biggest names teeing it up this week are No. 29 Aaron Rai and No. 30 Akshay Bhatia, the only players in the top 40 of OWGR playing at VidantaWorld. Defending champion Jake Knapp is back, as well.
Outside of those notables, it's a rank-and-file field. U.S. Amateur champion Josele Ballester is playing on a sponsor exemption for the second time in three weeks, and 17-year-old Blades Brown will make his second start as a pro. Perhaps it's an event where someone will become the second first-time Tour winner in 2025.
The winner in Mexico will take home $1.26 million from the $7 million purse and 500 FedEx Cup points. For his runner-up finishes at the Genesis, McNealy collected $2.2 million.
